March 26 ------ Top Flight Sports Canada edged Eco Green Technology-Makati, 95-93, in overtime to win the Division II title in the 2024 Smart-National Basketball Training Center (NBTC). Joey Panghulan earned the Best Player of the Game title with an impressive double-double performance, tallying 16 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. JC Espinosa also contributed 17 points and six rebounds.
Pivotal free throws from Panghulan and Justin Thompson sent the game into overtime at 83-all. Coach Nap Santos expressed his pride in winning the prestigious tournament. "It's a true honor to win this. Even back in Vancouver, people talked about it. We know how big it is. So, it's an absolute honor to be the first team internationally to win this prestigious tournament," Santos said.
Despite Eco Green's strong start, Coach Nap attributed Top Flight's comeback to their resilient defensive effort. "All I talked about was defense, nothing else. I watched a lot of the other team, they made a lot of shots in the first half. I knew that it wouldn’t last, and I told them that if we play tough defense, they’re gonna start missing their shots, and they did... So, I trusted them. I trusted our defense," he explained.
Meanwhile, Russel Bayani led Eco Green with 18 points.
Source: spin.ph
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